Take a moment to consider why a pencil is a miracle. How grateful you should be that it exists. Why your relationship to a pencil shows that no matter how bleak the world seems, we’re all in this together and even when it gets bad, it get better.

Take your time. When you’re ready, may for this blog post and we’ll explore all this and more. And by more, I mean the Book of Deuteronomy.

I’ve been told I am creative. Makes sense. I read, write, speak and teach for a living. So where does it come from, whatever “it” is? A few things.

The problem of muscle memoryWhen one works out the same way, over and over again, the body’s muscles begin to memorize the exercise. Over time, the muscle learns how to do the motion using less energy — thereby making the exercise less effective.

Part of what makes conversation so interesting is that we have no idea what someone might say. There is a boundary that separates us. You are you. I am I. This gulf between us is a gulf of empty space where our consciousness does not mingle. You are a little island and I am a little island.

Let’s begin with a premise: that sermons do not deserve to be tortured, boring, uninspiring, hastily delivered, irrelevant, or anything else. Sermons are an art: spiritual performance, confrontational theater. And art has a right to be good. Because art saves. And here you go. No notes No notes. None. Ever. Ever. Ever. Ever. No manuscript, speech, anything. If there’s paper on the pulpit, it better be the list of birthdays and deaths. Your words do not need to be written in order to be delivered well. This is the only thing